What is Leaky Gut? Part 1

Part 1 of 3

Julie Anne Lee, Homeopath, has written a wonderfully informative article on Leaky Gut Syndrome in dogs. She explains more about how the intestinal lining works, the absolute importance of it being strong and intact, and what happens in the body when it looses its integrity. In addition she discusses the many ways in which this damage can and does happen in the first place (to name only a few: poor diet, antibiotics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, stress and over-vaccination). She refers to “the delicate intestinal mucosa that lines the gut and allows tiny digested nutrients to pass through to the blood stream” as being like a “cheesecloth or a tea strainer”. Essential nutrients are absorbed into the body in this way. This mucosal lining “can also act as an incredibly important barrier to keep out toxins, pathogens, and undigested food particles”.

With Leaky gut syndrome, she explains, “the mucosa becomes traumatized and inflamed, causing the junctions (the spaces in the cheese cloth) to become stretched and damaged to the point where they’re no longer able to filter out larger food particles, bacteria and toxins. These substances can now pass through the intestinal wall and make their way into the blood stream and lymphatics. “

When food enters the blood stream, where it is not intended to be, this triggers your dog’s immune system “to fight the intruders”. This is a large burden and very confusing for the body to handle. When it “becomes overwhelmed”, particles are then absorbed into the bodies tissues, which causes inflammation. Something even more serious can take place here due to this inflammation “the immune system can attack these intruders, which can lead to autoimmune diseases. The body starts to perceive food as its enemy- the reason that we see so many dogs that are allergic or reactive to almost every protein and many vegetables and grains.” This is absolutely huge, a very large eye opening discovery and revelation, as on a daily basis we see dogs that are in this very serious state of ill health, which can be very puzzling and extremely frustrating and disheartening. Gas, bloating and diarrhea are common outward symptoms. Leaky Gut Syndrome has been referred to as the “great mimicker” appearing in the form of MANY chronic diseases/illnesses such as skin diseases, allergies, thyroid disorders, autoimmune disorders, heart disease, irritable bowel syndrome, chronic cystitis (kidney/urinary), arthritis, liver, gall bladder and pancreas diseases, diabetes, behaviour problems, including aggression, obsessive compulsive disorder and self-mutilation. We have all seen that dog that chronically harms itself by biting, scratching, and licking, now we may be able to have an idea about what is going on in the body and why they are doing this (of course emotional factors can be a cause too). 

The damage and inflammation needs to be addressed for the dog to regain its health and vitality. There are many things that can be done to repair the damaged mucosal lining and reduce inflammation. Julie Anne has created a supplement protocol to do just that.

 Supplements recommended to assist with gut healing are:

Protocol consists of: * Anti-Vaccinosis (Initial 2 Day Regime) 15 ml liquid * Liver Tonic (Support/Detoxifier) 60 ml liquid * Healthy Gut (Digestive Enzyme/Pre &Probiotic) 83 g powder * Gut Soothe (Anti-inflammatory) 153 g powder * Gut Seal (Strengthener) 30 ml liquid

Stay tuned for Part 2 and Part 3 on Leaky Gut!


References:
Lee, Julie Anne. Leaky Gut Syndrome. Dogs Naturally Magazine. P 14-17.